To Drown the World
by Preaching Red
Summary: Wash away the sins of the world and suddenly Hell doesn't have a purpose anymore. Everyone is equal. Does that defy the laws set by the Soul King? Maybe. However, plenty of people have had grudges against the Soul King, and a simple request has reminded a certain demon of what it means to be human, and what it means to have the desire to destroy.(I'll build my own Bleach timeline).
1. The Scourge of the Board

**_A/N:_** **Hello, hello. A preliminary note from moi warning you that this'll hopefully be a long ride. I also want to warn you that I will be lazy af when it comes to updating. I'll do it as I feel like it because trying to keep a schedule for something like this doesn't really work for me. There was something else I wanted to say... Oh yeah. Rating. I give it an M rating because I can. The rating pretty much has no bearing on whether or not you read the story, but the fanfiction honchos who look out for that could probably nab me for some obscure, nitpicky detail. What I'm saying is that this work as a whole probably classifies as T, but the characters will have a colorful vocabulary (because color makes everything better) and there will be a fair deal of death and blood and violence and fun. Probably no lemons, though. I haven't tried to write a sex scene, but I feel like it won't go very well...**

 ** _Disclaimer:_** **It'd be cool to own Bleach and Code Geass, but I don't.**

* * *

"What say you and I take over the world?"

Verdant took Black.

"Which world?"

"Don't be daft, young one, the afterlife."

"And you tell me not to be daft. The 'afterlife', as you call it, is a rather divided place."

Black took Verdant.

"You're smart enough, boy, to know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Of course. Without this rather pleasing noggin atop my slender neck, you would certainly be bored out of your mind."

"Do not forget the power I have bestowed upon you. You are in no position to get snarky with me, boy."

Verdant took Black.

"By the power vested in me, I certainly grant you quite a bit of indirect power, don't I? Anyway, I digress: Hell lies beneath the two surface realms of the afterlife, connecting them, at points, on the same plane of existence; almost like the earth keeps the sky revolving around the sea… this is certainly the most gutsy plan you've concocted since I've been stuck down here."

A deep baritone as Black took Verdant.

"That has not been as long as you think, boy."

"So you say, I don't understand why you can't at least grant me a watch." A silky tenor sighed decadently, "You and your ways of torture."

"You say that, but you know better than anyone down here that you've _earned_ your way to hell, and—as an eternal being—let me tell you that your downward spiral was by far one of the most interesting."

"You are the last person I want to hear that from. Besides, at least I controlled my spiral."

"Oh yes. You sure did, but that's why it's so much worse! We give discounts to psychopaths."

"Oh? And I didn't qualify?"

"I'm sure you did at one point."

Black takes Verdant.

"You never did tell me why you insist on playing with a green chess set."

"That's a personal preference. It isn't like it has some profound effect on the way the game is played. Why not embody your own ideals rather than embracing those provided?"

Verdant advanced.

"You certainly are an idealist, ironically enough, although, you do remind me of my best friend—from when I was alive, of course. It's no wonder you and I can get along so well."

Black took Verdant.

"Checkmate."

"… How the hell?"

"The board is the world. The world is a dangerous place, oh bearer mine, and I am the scourge of the board. Now then, you said something about taking over the world? I have some past experience in that regard."

* * *

 ** _What's this? A villainous perspective? Psh. Nah. My name is Preaching Red and I'm a patron of the morally righteous protagonist! Well, read on minions and be amazed by my next endeavor (to take over the world with prose and diction)!_**

* * *

 _'It seems as though the clouds race across the skies faster / after the sun dies.'_

 _'Jesus wept! Stop your useless musing and focus on the task!'_

 _'Oi! Shakespeare would have been proud of that musing!'_

 _'Can it, Carrot Top! That hollow's got a big, sharp shiny ready to nip your little tip.'_

 _'He has quite the arsenal of big, sharp shinnies; be careful Ichigo, I think I recall that you have a test first period tomorrow.'_

 _'Of all the things to worry about in this situation you worry about that?'_

 _'Focus'_

"Shit"

A severed lock of orange hair shivered in the brisk autumn breeze, floating freely towards the darkened yin horizon. A listless silvery plume of vapor vanished as quietly as it appeared, but the hissing didn't cease; the fading light of the yang horizon caught noir sclera and the sky blackened.

"Ichigo" worrying violet tried to tag cooling auburn, "Why did you hollowfy against a Class B hollow?"

"Hm?" Ichigo grunted in confusion. The teen took a moment's pause, cleaning out his ear with his pinky and blowing on the extremity lightly once he was satisfied, "Oh, Rukia. Why the hell are you here? It was just a Class B hollow."

A pulse of palpable, tumultuous silence followed the innocent comment.

"Uh, Rukia…?"

A twitch was all the warning Ichigo received before the petite noble leapt into action.

"I'm gonna bash your sorry face in, dumbass!"

"What'd I say?!"

"C'mon Rukia, lay off him." Tattooed eyebrows tilted as smoldering irises rolled in exasperation, "it's four in the morning and the kid has classes tomorrow."

"Renji!" Ichigo grinned, decidedly glad to see the redheaded lieutenant of the sixth. He bolted up now that the diminutive Shinigami had vacated his personal space, making eye contact with his guardian angel once he fully righted himself, "You guys have a good one. I'll see you at Kisuke's tomorrow after school."

Renji waved him off haphazardly, "Yeah, yeah. Get yer sleep, Strawberry. Can't have you failing that test tomorrow morning."

"How does everyone know about my test?"

Renji and Rukia were in no position to clarify the teenager's confusion, for the pair was already bickering about whether or not Ichigo's test was tomorrow or today.

"Technically, by the logic of dates, it's today!" Rukia wagged her index finger at the much taller sixth division lieutenant.

Renji put his own index finger on hers, pushing it down and forcing the Kuchiki heiress to make a fist once again, "Maybe so, but Ichigo hasn't slept yet, therefore his internal clock has yet to reset…"

Ichigo walked away with a roll of the eyes; those two were pieces of work by any definition of the phrase. If it wasn't for their strength, he doubted the Gotei would put up with their antics. However, if Ichigo knew the soutaicho as well as he thought he did, he figured that old geezer enjoyed antics a little too much. After all, Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake had been captains for almost 400 years now and they hadn't been kicked out yet.

"Home sweet home" Ichigo mused, sliding his soul smoothly back into its mortal vassal. His irises veiled beneath quickly drooping eyelids, Ichigo didn't fight the urge to pass out. Welcoming the warm darkness with open arms, the Substitute Shinigami of Karakura fell into blissful unconsciousness.

Morning, sweet and simple in its purest form, showed its dainty face rather bluntly through the open curtains. Taking advantage of the unobstructed path, the light dashed forward giddily, eagerly bouncing and dancing atop Ichigo's protectively tightening eyelids.

"Holy hell it's bright this morning…" The substitute Shinigami murmured to himself, "What time is it?"

 _'7:03? Looks like you have seven minutes to ward off your father.'_

"Seems that way, doesn't it. If I hurry, I can take a shower before I get to school."

 _'Want to look good for Orihime?'_

"Dumbass." Ichigo didn't even dignify his hollow with the satisfaction of eliciting a response.

The warm water splashing against the back of his head almost nullified the sound of his father crashing through his room and flying out the second story window. Ichigo could only roll his eyes as he heard shouts of surprise and worry from the early morning joggers that his father undoubtedly scared the life out of. Taking the incident for what it was, he pushed the handle down, cutting off the flow of water to the nozzle.

Wandering down the stairs in a much more refreshed manner, Ichigo took note of the missing members of his family; namely his sisters.

"Hey Old Man!" Ichigo called, "Where are Karin and Yuzu?"

In response to his question, the front door opened with a startling bang. Ichigo quickly tilted his gaze in order to take in the bedraggled form of his father, "Nice look, Dad."

Placing his hand on his lower back and pushing forward—sighing as the action elicited a few pops—Isshin plopped down at the dining table.

"They have an early day today, something about an honor role breakfast."

"They made the honor role and didn't tell me?"

"You were out all last night; they didn't want to bother you. If you ask me, I think they should have absolutely bothered you. You're their big brother and should be damn proud of them."

"I am damn proud of them!" Ichigo exclaimed before sighing, "You didn't even drive them in?"

"They wanted to walk." Isshin's lab coat ruffled along the shoulders as he shrugged in response, "Don't ask me why. I don't usually question their decisions too often anyway; I trust them."

"Yeah?" Ichigo plopped down next to his father, "So what's for breakfast then?"

"Burnt toast" Isshin deadpanned

"Moron."

 _Karakura High_

It was the shouting that alerted him first.

Ichigo wheeled around with his arm raised in self-defense, and down went Keigo Asano.

"You should really stop doing that, Keigo." Tatsuki Arisawa commented as she strode around the corner, "I'm pretty sure Ichigo's been doing his fair share of lifting lately."

"I agree with Arisawa-san, Asano-san." The other blue haired member of their friend group, Mizuiro, made his clean-cut appearance, "Those biceps speak volumes, Ichigo."

"But I have something important to tell him!" Keigo whined, shooting up from his previously prone position.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, "If he hasn't heard about the transfer student I might have to punch him."

"Transfer student?" Orihime Inoue piped up, peeking around Tatsuki to make eye contact with her.

"Maybe I should punch you instead." Tatsuki murmured good-naturedly

"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo waved his hand, "I heard about him. He's here all the way from the good old U.S. of A."

"Or Her."

"Hm?"

"Or her." Tatsuki repeated

"Yeah, Ichigo!" Keigo hung off Ichigo lazily, "The new kid could be a blond bombshell from California!"

"Jeez Keigo is that all you think about?" Ichigo brushed him off lightly, making sure not to plant him on the ground.

"There are worse things to think about!"

"… Fair enough."

Interrupting the pregnant pause that was bound to follow Keigo's comment, the bell sounded and the group from Class 3-E headed off to classroom 3-E.

As Ichigo expected, the teacher, Ms. Ochi, was all over the transfer student. Ichigo wasn't all that impressed with him, but then again it was rather hard to impress him considering the things he'd seen. What surprised the Substitute Shinigami was the way Shinji Hirako, who sat to his right, was ogling, weirdly enough, the new kid.

"Hirako!" Ichigo hissed, "Stop staring at the new guy!"

Shinji appeared scandalized by Ichigo's accusation, "Staring? I wasn't staring!"

"Yes you were, it was startling to unsettle him and me." Ichigo retorted, noting the glances the black haired boy was sending their way.

"Okay, fine. But you have to admit that that kid is pretty to an illegal degree."

 _'Pretty?'_ Ichigo's hollow laughed, _'The only other "pretty" guy we know is Byakuya Kuchiki!'_

Ichigo stared at Shinji in confusion before deciding to examine the kid in the front of the class as well.

"Yeah, sure. Objectively speaking, the kid is attractive." Then something occurred to Ichigo, "What the hell are you talking about? You're like 400 years old! How can you be engaging in such trifle banter?"

Unbeknownst to the bickering pair, the immediate surrounding area had overheard their conversation and was now also staring at the new kid, measuring him and taking note of his appearance. Ms. Ochi also took notice of this and chose to commence the lesson to avert the continuing situation.

"Class, as I'm sure you've all noticed, this is our new student. His name is Lelouch Lamperouge, and he tells me he put as many "L's" in his name as possible just to annoy you."

This elicited a chuckle, and everyone's attention was diverted from the student's appearance except, seemingly, for Shinji.

"Shinji, you've really gotta stop looking at the kid, you're unsettling me let alone him." Ichigo shook Shinji's shoulder as a form of warning, "It's gone beyond simple staring; it's like you're examining him."

"Ichigo" Shinji said darkly, "This kid has spiritual pressure."

"What?" Ichigo hissed

"It's very well suppressed—I almost can't sense it over your tower of power—but it's definitely there, and it seems like he's well trained in its arts."

"Well shit." Ichigo groaned, "Think he's here to recruit me to be a Visored?"

"Funny."

Before Ichigo or Shinji could delve deeper into that topic, Lelouch addressed the class with a light bow, "Hello, my name, as you've just heard, is Lelouch Lamperouge. I look forward to acquainting myself with all of you in the coming days."

 _'He's very eloquent for a foreigner.'_ Ichigo's hollow commented in confusion, as though he was actually contemplating the questions associated with such a trait.

"You're very eloquent, Mr. Lamperouge" Ms. Ochi exclaimed with enthusiasm, "How well do you speak Japanese?"

"If not fluently then pretty close to it. I lived in Tokyo from age 8 to 14, so although it is my second language I know it very well."

"Splendid!" Ochi grinned, "I hope you know that I will be putting you on the spot come English class!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Great! Now, if you'd please take the seat behind Shinji Hirako, the boy with the blond hair, next to Ichigo, the boy with orange hair."

"Of course."

Making his way over, Lelouch placed his bag delicately on the ground before sitting down. With great deliberation, Lelouch sought the attentions of Shinji and Ichigo, "Nice to meet you."

The pair nodded, turning their heads forward stiffly but not before sharing a glance full of uncertainty. Of course, if they had kept their attention on Lelouch, they would have noticed the grin etching its way onto his facial features.

 _Urahara Shōten_

To him, it was an earthquake.

A rare grimace made its way onto Urahara Kisuke's face as the gate to the afterlife slammed closed, sending a shockwave throughout the living world.

"They're here, Yoruichi."

A dozing black cat opened one blazing eye, making eye contact with the blond man's grey orbs. The cat noted the tilting of Kisuke's green striped hat, shading his eyes and illustrating the man's displeasure over the event. Flicking her tail was the only signal of recognition she gave, but Kisuke knew she understood the gravity of the situation.

"Does this mean the Head Captain knows Aizen is planning a coup?"

Yoruichi shifted her body, straightening her legs with a light yawn as she did so. Both eyes opened and she directed her gaze to the beleaguered shopkeeper, feeling sympathetic as she took in his hunched over appearance.

 _'He looks so small in that stupid green haori'_

Kisuke Urahara was a shell of the Shinigami captain he used to be. Time will do that to a man; time and regret are the two most prominent causes that result in a beleaguered appearance. Unfortunately for Kisuke Urahara, he has both burdens weighing upon his shoulders.

"Don't ask questions you know I can't answer, Kisuke."

A snowy fan quickly covered a sheepish grin, as the humble shopkeeper opted to avert his gaze.

"My apologies. However, Yamamoto-soutaicho knows we're here—he can't possibly be that daft—and he'll undoubtedly send his little scion our way eventually. Pretty soon we'll be involved whether we like it or not."

Looking back to the cat, he noticed Yoruichi was now facing away from him—towards the suburbs if he remembered correctly. The sun slowly clambered upwards behind them now, giving the town of Karakura a majestic, royal aqua backdrop. His grey eyes searched the horizon for the object of Yoruichi's focus. Kisuke's gaze suddenly began to darken as he realized why she was looking to the suburbs.

"Hopefully the Old Man knows to stay out of Isshin's business."

"You can't honestly believe he will." Yoruichi flicked her tail dismissively; "Ichigo's Reiryoku is exceptionally powerful for a human. There is no doubt in my mind Yamamoto will target him first and foremost. Not only is he Aizen's greatest threat, Ichigo has enough willpower to power an entire city—metaphorically speaking of course; as a candidate, I doubt anyone could be more ideal for what Yamamoto has in mind. However, I'm sure you've noticed the unrelated, but also powerful, energy emanating from the other side of town."

"A brick wall couldn't miss it, Yoruichi. It's important we ascertain as much as possible about this new source _before_ the Shinigami representative gets her hands on him or her."

"Him." Yoruichi corrected.

"Hm?"

"Our new source is a male, Kisuke."

"What makes you say that?"

"Men seem to always have a certain undertone to their spirit energy—whether it be underlying or on the sleeve—that makes them easily identifiable. It's almost like a gender stamp on a person's Reiryoku. In this case, I sense deep-rooted, well concealed fear and malice. That's not a good combination, Kisuke."

"I'm still a little shaky on that undertone thing…"

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi groaned, "You're missing the point! This new source is a liability, perhaps even more so than Ichigo."

"Wow. Never did I think I'd see the day when someone surpassed Ichigo on the loose cannon scale."

"Kisuke!"

"Right, sorry." Kisuke chuckled meekly, "Can I entrust that job to you? Oh meager feline?"

Yoruichi smirked, her fangs glistening in the early rays, "Of course you can. However, that means you're gonna have to deal with Ichigo and the new representative."

Kisuke paled as the possibilities, none of them relaxing and all involving some form of calamity, multiplied before his eyes.

"Wait… can I stalk the new guy instead?"

"Good luck, Kisuke."

With a flick of her tail she vanished into the brittle stillness of dawn, leaving behind no evidence of her ever having been there.

Kisuke, left alone with his thoughts, couldn't help but ponder the ramifications of the Soutaicho's decisions.

 _'I'm having doubts about this being an action on the part of the Soutaicho. This is most certainly not his M.O…. Aizen?'_

Kisuke grimaced: if the megalomaniacal captain of Squad 5 was somehow pulling the strings behind this then these two prospects could be in a great deal of trouble.

 _'No. Not just them. The moment Aizen starts his big shebang, everyone—willing or unwilling—will be involved. Hopefully we can be ready when the bomb drops.'_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** **I understand that it's kinda short, but it's the first chapter. It's almost a prologue. I felt like if I continued with it further (in the same style that I used) it would become annoying, so I took a bit of a word count hit here. I think it's like 3 words over 3,000 for those that like numbers.**

 **Also, I can get pretty lazy regarding editing and whatnot. If anyone wants to volunteer to do some textual editing that'd be sweet (A beta reader in fanfictish).**

 **Review, favorite, follow. Hit one or all of those buttons to make me a happy author, and I'll make you happy too if you know what I mean :P (The review button is my favorite—just between you and me).**


	2. Hello, You've Reached the Urahara Shōten

**A/N: If you haven't noticed yet, you will. I've decided to implement a little time skip after most chapters. Nothing major will be missed, obviously, but it requires a little brain power on your parts to connect the dots. Hopefully it isn't too hard to do. If you feel like I'm not doing a good job with them tell me how to fix it! I want to try and keep this going throughout this fic (for any chapter that I can do it for, obviously I won't do it if I'm splitting battle scenes or if I left you hanging off ye olden cliff), so constructive criticism is welcome. If you just say "I hate it. I hate your story. I hate you." then I can't really help you there.**

* * *

Amethyst eyes glittered in amusement. Rather than vocalize anything, the eyes closed tight. He allowed his senses to extend around him, focusing on nothing but the world in his presence. He felt the tug. It was the tug of something powerful, perhaps some _one_ powerful. He could figure that part out easily, whether or not this being was from this world or his own, but there was no fun in facts. Opening his eyes to see for himself, he found himself staring into the golden eyes of a lithe black feline. He raised an eyebrow; this was certainly not what he expected.

"Well hello." Lelouch smiled warmly, "And how do you suppose _you_ got in here?"

He reached out his hand slowly, making no sudden movements to avoid startling the creature. The being before him was no simple animal—hat much he was certain of—and no matter how much it tried to conceal its power he could still route it out.

 _'Quite the interesting little thing, isn't it?'_

An instant before he would brush his fingertips against its coat, the cat leapt back, eyes flaring with more emotions than a cat should be able to perceive.

Fear.

Wariness.

Excitement.

Curiosity.

He decided to vocalize his thoughts.

"You are quite the interesting little thing, aren't you?"

"I knew something was off about you."

It was a deep baritone, certainly far deeper than Lelouch had been expecting. With a cat from his days alive for comparison, Lelouch half expected this cat to be of the fairer sex.

He decided to vocalize his thoughts.

"Interesting. I thought you were a female cat."

"Whatever gave you that impression?"

Was the cat mocking him? There was a glint in those ever-expressive eyes that was not lost on Lelouch.

"Would you care to explain what exactly you are?"

"Why can't I just be a cat?"  
"In your world, you can be whatever you want to be, I suppose. But here, in this world, you are certainly not a cat. Oddities exist in this world, but even a spirit animal—passive guardians of nobles—only have the ability to communicate when they show their true form. You do not look like a ferocious lion to me."

"The fact that you know of the passive guardians confirms what I wanted to know. I'll take my leave now."

"You're free to stay." Lelouch invited calmly, "Curious cat or ferocious lion, some milk sounds pretty good right now."

"You know, the only reason I like is the silky texture." The cat sounded defensive.

"Would you rather I got you some glue?"

"Smartass." With a swish of its tail, the feline disappeared into the small kitchenette of his apartment.

Lelouch followed, chuckling when he saw the cat pawing at his fridge door.

"No matter how much spiritual pressure you possess, you are still limited by your form I suppose."

Oddly enough, the cat insisted he pour its milk into a glass and set it on the bar. Rather than leap up onto the bar and lap at the milk, the feline looked at him for a moment.

"You live alone?"

Lelouch nodded, "Did you think I too would sleep in Ichigo Kurosaki's closet?"

Ignoring him, the cat requested he turn around. Not caring if it was got gone when he turned back around, he did as it asked.

As soon as he did so a gust generating from a pulse of energy flung his hair forward, obscuring his vision. There was a slight fog that had set in on the room, and Lelouch scanned the room for the cat. Finding no feline, but grinned as he saw a figure resting comfortably on his couch, glass of milk in dark-skinned hand.

"Let's talk." The feminine voice washed over him, causing him to grin widely.

"Now _this_ is a surprise!"

 _Not Lelouch's Pad_

School had long since ended and the sun was soon to be retiring in the world of the living, but Ichigo's day was far from over. Standing between him and his traditional route home was a tall man. Stubble on his chin accented what struck Ichigo as a devilish, eager smirk, but a bucket hat shadowed his eyes preventing Ichigo from knowing his true intent.

"And you are?" Ichigo prompted cautiously, his tone rife with warning.

The clogs clacked rhythmically on cement, the man's grin widening as his cane swung up to his shoulder, "My name isn't important, what you need to know is that I run a candy shop a few blocks down the road, and _you_ —" his index finger flicked up the brim of his hat, making eye contact for the first time, "—are Ichigo Kurosaki. Boy do we have a lot to talk about."

"How so?"

"I'm sure you've already reached a conclusion in your head. Your senses tell you something is off about me, I am not quite like the rest of the people in this world—you're right about that."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at that, but chose to stay quiet, which seemed fine as Kisuke had plenty to say.

"Wholes, Hollows, Shinigami. These terms aren't new to you no doubt, but they are mere names. The beings that bear these names, you are quite the stranger to them. Rukia Kuchiki probably hasn't told you who or what sh—"

"How do you know Rukia?" Ichigo burst out, stopping the enigma's rant.

"Well that's a simple one: she's a Shinigami, I'm a Shinigami."

Ichigo's mind wandered back to early that day:

A girl had stood in front of the class, her name written on the whiteboard in impeccable calligraphy.

"It is read Kuchiki Rukia." She stated formally, "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

Ichigo stared her down, and she stared right back. Something was off about her; he sensed at least that much. Why did she transfer into his school? Also, why the hell was she ignoring him? She sat behind him, sufficiently distracting him the whole day with her mere presence. During lunch, she ate with Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa—the one thing that wouldn't surprise Ichigo all day. Inoue always reached out to the new students; it explained why her friend group was so large, but somehow she managed to garner all their affections easily. She was quite the mystery to Ichigo. She feared him for some unknown reason, but continued to reach out and try to befriend her. Ichigo tried to extend the same kindness, but Tatsuki always yelled at him before anything could be forged.

Rukia, however, was still watching him even as he ate. It unsettled him. If he were Keigo Asano, his jumbled mind would reach the conclusion that she was into him, but he wasn't that unobservant. The stare was calculating; she was taking his measure. For what purpose he didn't know, but he would make sure to stay alert around her from now on. Something had changed since he saw her this morning, something to do with Soul Society perhaps? Odd that he hasn't sensed Renji since this morning either.

Come the beginning of the final class of the day, Rukia was not present. She stumbled in fifteen minutes late, apologizing about how she desperately had to use the restroom and how it wouldn't happen again. Ichigo wondered about that instance and the circumstances behind it. A hollow attack hadn't occurred, so what was going on? Maybe he was reading too far into it, but then again maybe he wasn't. The confused looks Shinji was sending him certainly did absolutely nothing to mollify his curiosity.

The day had concluded uneventfully, and the timeline eventually took him to where he was now: standing off a couple paces from this enigmatic figure.

"So you're a Shinigami, huh?" Ichigo snorted disbelievingly, his mind finally back in the present.  
"A being of the afterlife that cleanses Hollows, and helps Wholes find their way to the Soul Society, yes. I do that."

"And how come I haven't sensed you before?" Ichigo retorted. This man perplexed him, even interested him, but he wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that, "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here. If your enigmatic ass really is a Shinigami, are you the reason Rukia was playing hooky today?"

Urahara shrugged, "Indirectly, I suppose I am. I'm sure you saw the relatively powerful hollow yesterday. It's the first one to come here in a while, but I think that has something to do with your ever-increasing Reiryoku. Unfortunately for you, you will soon become the target of more powerful Hollow attacks. Although the circumstances may be exogenous, the fact remains that they _are_ coming for you. Your exceptionally powerful Reiryoku will attract them like moths. Soon you will be a danger to yourself and your family."

Ichigo's eyes widened, "And how do I stop it?"  
"You train to be a Soul Reaper."

Ichigo snorted, "I _am_ a Soul Reaper, dumbass. And I suppose you train me?"

Kisuke ignored his question; instead he chose to unsheathe a blade hidden in his cane.

"You wanted to know how I know Rukia? Well, who do you think is housing her during her stay in the world of the living?"

Ichigo widened his eyes before glaring at the offending blade.

"That's quite the knife you keep in there." Ichigo growled, "Just who the hell are you?"

"That is certainly a story for another time. However, I am no enemy of yours. Join me at my shop if you want to be ready when shit hits the fan. Also, join me at my shop tomorrow morning if you want to know why shit is about to hit a fan."

Urahara smiled, pleased with his comments, before turning his back on the overtly curious substitute soul reaper who certainly wasn't about to let him get away so easily.

"Wait."

Far from a request, the single word was a spoken command; his tone rife with leadership, Kisuke couldn't help but halt his geta clad feet, "Yes?"  
"I need an address if I'm going to meet you later."  
"Ah, I suppose you're right." Pulling out a small white card, Kisuke held it out to his left. Ichigo followed the item with his eyes and, suddenly, it was falling. The slender hand that held it against gravity had vanished.

"Damn flash step." Ichigo huffed indignantly, beading at the knees to examine his souvenir, "Urahara Shōten, huh? Well then, looks like you have some explaining to do tomorrow, Mr. Urahara."

 _Lelouch's Pad_

Yoruichi gripped a burgundy jacket around her bare torso tightly, body bending as she prepared to leap out the window.

"You know" Lelouch crossed his arms and strode up close to her, "You really didn't explain what it seems you revealed yourself to explain."

Yoruichi chuckled, "That's the idea! It's called a cliffhanger; they keep the reader interested and willing to return for more."

"You know" Lelouch approached ever closer, "You're not the first strange woman to come into my life and shake things up."  
"Had a bad experience with an ex?"  
Lelouch snorted mirthfully, "Hardly."

Yoruichi's eyes glittered in amusement, but beneath them was a raging sea of premonitions regarding the composed boy before her. Was this Kisuke being impulsive, or did he really think this guy would be on their side in the coming conflict? She saw his eyebrow raise and she realized she'd been staring. Her grin recovering in full force, she turned back to the window,

"If you want your clothes back, come to the Urahara Shōten tomorrow morning. I promise it will be worth your while."  
Lelouch didn't have the time to formulate a witty retort; the only warning he got was a slight tensing of his grey pants before she was gone.

"Troublesome woman." Lelouch growled, "Doesn't she know a person needs a destination before they can set sail?"

 _Urahara's Shop_

Just as Kisuke was about to shut the door to his shop, a deeply tanned foot placed itself in the way causing his eyes to light up.

"Yoruichi!" Opening the door, allowing her entrance, "How did it go… whose clothes are those?"

"Lelouch Lamperouge." She listed the name, "He's quite the interesting person. Kisuke I don't know about him; he gives off a bad vibe."

"Does he now…" Kisuke rubbed his chin, appearing to be deep in thought, "do you always borrow the clothes of men who unsettle you?"

"Shut up." She huffed indignantly, giving him a light bop on the head, pushing his hat down against the bridge of his nose. Kisuke let out an equally indignant squeak. Not bothering to wait while he fixed his appearance, Yoruichi continued, "How'd things go with Ichigo?"

"He's quite the hot headed person." Kisuke mocked as he brushed his hair to this side and that with this fingers, "He was rather mad when I left him hanging."

"Did you answer any of his questions?"  
"Literally ignored every one of them."

Yoruichi gave him a disproving stare.

"Alright, fine. I answered a few." Kisuke reluctantly relented, "You're always so mean to me!"

Before they could say anything further, a knock sounded from the store door.

"Who would knock at this time of night?" Grey eyes narrowed in thought as he strode to answer, making sure to keep his cane in his dominant hand. Yoruichi followed closely behind him, but just out of sight.

Cracking open the door, Kisuke poked his head out.

"Helloo~?"

A flash of pink and the figure was directly in Urahara's personal space, "Presumably you are Mr. Urahara."

With a gasp Kisuke quickly darted back inside his shop, his right hand gripping his chest as he tried to slow his heavy breathing, "Jesus Christ!" He breathed in a shaken tone.

"Shunsui!" A much smoother voice than the previous one admonished, "That wasn't polite!"

"Oh relax, Jūshirō!" Shunsui Kyōraku turned his head to call to his childhood friend, "Kisuke isn't quite old enough to have an induced heart attack yet, at least I think so. He's alright, isn't he Yoruichi?"  
Knowing she hadn't been within visual range of the Squad 8 captain, Yoruichi assumed a defensive pose as she walked slowly towards the open door, which still happened to be occupied by Shunsui—no. A pale hand gripped the back of his floral kimono and lightly jerked him away.

"My apologies Shihōin-san" Ukitake now spoke, "He had a little to much at a bar before coming here, apparently his Gigai isn't quite as tolerant as his soul is."

"The soul of an alcoholic never rejects its lifeblood!" Shunsui yelled from his now seated position against the side of the shop, his straw hat resting in his lap as though it were a humble domestic feline.

Yoruichi sweat dropped at the all too familiar scene; however, these two wouldn't be in the world of the living without a _very_ good reason. Yoruichi sighed as she put on her business face, "What can we do for you?"

"Oh yes, the business side of a friendly reunion." Ukitake smiled absentmindedly, but Yoruichi knew him too well to be fooled. The sick captain coughed lightly as he began, "As I'm sure you are aware, Lieutenants Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki have been stationed here due to an apparent uptick in average Hollow Reiryoku, so I'll cut right to the chase. Where is Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Yoruichi's eyes widened, but almost immediately narrowed in suspicion, "What makes you think that name means anything to me?"

Jūshirō was about to answer, but before he could utter so much as a sound from his open mouth Shunsui stumbled by him, upsetting his balance and stealing the metaphorical spotlight.

"Is that a question we need to dignify with an answer?" Shunsui's eyes flashed as they fell upon the former twelfth division captain, "The Head Captain does not want a human involved in Shinigami affairs."

Ukitake bopped the tipsy captain on the head, "I told you that you're not supposed to do much talking here." Sighing in resignation, Ukitake showed his palms, "Go on. Ask away."

"What affairs?"

"Right for the throat!" Shunsui commented, smiling, from the background, but his one-liner went ignored for the most part.

"Aizen." Ukitake's expression fell, "The Soutaicho is getting suspicious of the fifth division."

Yoruichi gasped in shock, _'he actually made a move already?'_ But before she could voice her thoughts, Kisuke felt it was his turn to step into the conversation.

"There's no one he moved so soon, he only recently acquired the Hōgyoku."

Both squad captains raised their eyebrows, sharing a puzzled glance, "We'll have to sit down and talk about what you mean by Hōgyoku later, but for now: No, Aizen has not made any moves. However, the fifth division has been involved in all missions that resulted in mysterious deaths of Shinigami or Rukongai citizens. Just recently, Aizen volunteered the division to be a part of the advance squad to track down an "invisible" Hollow that killed a patrol squad from the 13th division."

"Couldn't he just be trying to be helpful? What makes you think he's doing it out of malice." Yoruichi asked in suspicion.

Shunsui turned his gaze to the bucket-hatted former captain, "You're testimony, Mr. Urahara. But at this point, we are so far off of our original goal my head is starting to hurt."  
"Or you're starting to feel the effects of all that alcohol." Ukitake sighed, "Sorry to ask this of you, but do you mind if we impose on you tonight?"

Kisuke opened his fan, "Are you comfortable staying in the abode of a feared exile?"  
Shunsui smiled lightly, "Rukia and Renji are safe and sound, so I think we'll be okay."  
"What makes you think they're here?"

Shunsui lifted his right hand, thumb pointed upward and index finger extended; the remaining three fingers curled in a fist. He aimed down the sights and made a light *bang* sound. Kisuke and Yoruichi whipped around to find a bleary eyed Rukia staring at the four in confusion.

"What is going _on_?"

Looking passed Urahara she noticed Shunsui waving gaily at her.

"Captain Kyōraku?"

Ukitake peered mischievously over his friend's shoulder, making eye contact with his subordinate, "Why hello, Rukia!"  
"Captain Ukitake!"

"Whose clothes are those, Yoruichi?"

"I thought the walk of shame occurred the following morning…" Ukitake trailed off uncertainly.

The deep chuckling of Shunsui and Kisuke contently smothered Yoruichi's annoyed growls.

* * *

 **A/N: A lot of character/character interactions. I promise this is all just setting the stage. The action will come soon enough. Patience, Young Padawan!**

 **I like to think I have you guys trained to review, but I'll remind you anyway.**

 **Until next time, amigos!**


End file.
